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He sighs and sets his brush down, his gaze drifting instinctively towards the window.
It’s a lovely day. Sunlight dapples the garden, gleaming off the lush, blood-red petals of the freshly-bloomed silk flowers; their gardener is kneeling beside the wall, tugging out weeds, and Xingqiu thinks even that would make a more interesting distraction than whatever it is he’s doing.
The letters spill over his desk, clamouring for his attention, and he unfurls one at random, studying its contents. Yet another report about nobushi robbing merchants en route to Inazuma – a disturbingly common occurrence, now that the Raiden Shogun has finally revoked the Vision Hunt Decree.
It’s not as though nobushi attacks never happened in the past; these vagrant samurai existed even before Inazuma closed its borders. But their frequency has increased as of late, and merchants are flocking to the Feiyun Commerce Guild, seeking help and reassurance.
Re-establishing the Liyue-Inazuma trade route is one of the Guild’s top priorities. Inazuma has always been one of Liyue’s major silk exporters; the year-long restrictions led to a significant drop in profits, so it’s unsurprising that merchants would be keen to touch base with their foreign counterparts, but…
What a headache.
This problem would be easier to solve if it was taking place in Liyue territory. But the crimes of the nobushi must be handled by the Shogunate lest foreign interference results in an international dispute, so the most Xingqiu can do is to write to the Kanjou Commission and urge them to investigate this matter.
He puts the letter aside, glancing over at the door. Xu is waiting outside, having been told to keep an eye on him; Xingqiu thinks that if he truly wanted to, he could slip out of the room right now and no one would even realise. But, despite his lack of interest in the Guild’s affairs, he is not irresponsible – the silk trade falls within his purview and so he will work on these issues to the best of his ability.
Though, Xingqiu is no magician. There is a limit to his capabilities, especially when he’s confined to a room.
He pushes back from the desk, rising to his feet. Perhaps his letters will receive a response if they’re sent with the seal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs; he’s sure they will listen to his request, given the importance of the silk trade to Liyue’s overall economy.
But before he can knock on the door, he hears the window clatter and he whirls around, hand already darting to the sword strapped to his side. His gaze lands on a familiar head of blonde hair and instantly his aggression fades, replaced by something closer to astonishment. “Traveller?” he calls, rushing over to open the window.
Lumine tumbles in, panting as she shakes her hair out of her eyes. Her lips are curved into a wide smile, pure and lovely – it lights up her face, reminds him of dawn breaking over the high peaks of Liyue. For a second, he forgets how to breathe. “Xingqiu!” she cries, throwing her arms around him. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”
Just like that, his whole mind goes blank. She’s hugging him, and she’s soft and warm and – did she always smell like flowers? Her fragrance wafts all around him, blanketing him in her sweetness; though she’s a little sweaty he doesn’t mind, closing his eyes as he leans his chin against her shoulder.
Until he comes to his senses and remembers that she entered the room through the window. “While it’s always a pleasure to see you Traveller, I must ask – why must you sneak in this way?” He glances over his shoulder at the room door. “I don’t think Xu will turn you down if you wish to visit.”
Lumine blinks. “But he won’t let you out, right?”
He shrugs, neither denying nor confirming her statement, and she steps back, her gaze raking him from head to toe. He finds himself already missing her proximity. “Xingqiu, we need your help! And I didn’t want to bargain with Xu over your schedule, so I thought this would be easier.”
“Who’s we?” he asks, puzzled as she grabs his wrist and begins tugging him over to the window, her explanation evidently over.
“You’ll see when we get there! You trust me, right?” She turns to him with a dazzling smile and instantly, all his reservations melt away. Of course he trusts her. And of course he wants to help Lumine – it’s not as if he likes to stay cooped up in this room.
“You need my help, right? Let’s go,” he says, and her smile turns into a full-fledged grin, bright and lovely as the sun itself – the next thing he knows her hand has dropped from his wrist, her fingers intertwining with his, and Xingqiu promptly stops thinking.
He can feel the callouses on her skin, rough from constantly wielding her blade. Her hand is deceptively dainty; there is strength in her grip, in the way she holds him tight, refusing to let go.
But that doesn’t matter. Xingqiu doesn’t want to let go. So he allows her to pull him to the window, the two of them scaling down the house and making their escape over the garden hedge. He looks back at the study as they run, feeling just a tiny bit guilty, but…
It’s fine. He’ll return and complete his work once he’s handled whatever Lumine needs his help with. Xu won’t even notice that he’s gone.
“So your urgent request was…for me to help Xiangling with her cooking?”
For the first time in a long while, Xingqiu finds himself completely speechless. Lumine beams as Xiangling stirs her soup with a wooden spoon, scooping up some to taste. “Yes!”
“And how is that considered urgent?” It’s taking everything he has right now to stop himself from smacking his palm against his forehead; instead, he settles for peering at Xiangling’s pot, inhaling the rich, savoury fragrance of her stew. Crab-based, if the pincers and shells floating about in the broth indicate anything.
“Because if we mess this up we’ll have to collect the ingredients all over again, and Lumine doesn’t want to hunt for more jueyun chilis,” Xiangling explains, waving a hand over the stove. “Xingqiu, can you make sure that the fire doesn’t get too hot? We don’t want the stew to boil over!”
He’s still in shock over how frivolous this request turned out to be, but he does as he’s told anyway, keeping the flames within Xiangling’s stipulated range with the help of his vision.
But all’s not lost – Lumine is bustling around the kitchen, helping Xiangling to prepare other dishes, and when she walks past him yet again wearing a cute little apron, her sunlit hair twisted into a simple ponytail to keep the stray strands out of her eyes…
Xingqiu finds himself imagining them together, Lumine with her chin on his shoulder, watching as he prepares bok choy and shrimp and garlic and – he forces himself to look away from her, warmth flooding his cheeks as he tries not to let his mind get carried away.
They’re not even dating! He shouldn’t be jumping through so many hoops, but the thought of their future, the thought of them doing household chores together and living in domestic bliss…it’s nice.
Suddenly, he’s grateful that they made him stand next to the stove. At least he has an excuse if someone asks why his face is so red.
“Are you still annoyed that I dragged you away from work for this?”
Lumine’s whisper grazes his ear, and he shivers, trying his best to focus on the lavish spread in front of him. Not on her soft voice, or the sweet floral perfume he can still smell despite the hours they’ve spent cooking, or the way her golden eyes meet his, shimmering with fondness. Or he thinks it’s fondness.
He shakes his head. “I did want an excuse to get out,” he admits, crossing his legs as he waits for the other guests to arrive. Xiangling mentioned that she had invited some people over to sample her new recipes; while he would much rather keep their group small – he’s covered in grime from working the stove, and it’s a little embarrassing to be seen in this state – Lumine flourishes in the company of many, so he doesn’t mind too much.
“I know.” Her gaze sparkles with mirth. “You’ve never liked being forced to work on Guild matters, so I thought I’d come and distract you for a bit.”
“It’s a nice distraction,” he says, turning his head to smile at her. She blinks, and he wonders if he’s mistaking the pink in her cheeks – but before he can take a closer look, a familiar voice cuts through the air and he turns just to see Chongyun walking into Wanmin Restaurant, followed closely by Xinyan.
“I can’t eat anything here,” Chongyun is already complaining, eyeing the dishes with avid suspicion. “Xiangling, you know I can’t eat spicy food!”
“C’mon, Chongyun!” Xinyan claps him on the back, pushing him forward – he stumbles through the doorway, the expression on his face one of fear. “Don’t knock it till you try it! Besides, spicy food makes you fun.”
“No, it doesn’t! It turns me into a weapon of mass destruction!” Chongyun is still arguing as he glances around, taking in his surroundings – then his gaze settles on Xingqiu and he promptly goes pale. “Xingqiu?”
He grins. Perhaps he doesn’t mind there being a crowd, after all. “Hello, Chongyun,” he calls, patting the seat beside him, schooling his features into something resembling innocence. “I’ve been caught up in Guild affairs lately so, unfortunately, we’ve not been able to meet…but here we are, eating together again. Just like old times!”
“I don’t like it when you talk like that,” Chongyun says, though he settles in the offered chair, leaning over to smile at Lumine. She smiles back. “It means you’re planning something.”
“Absolutely not.” Xingqiu eyes the table, picking out every dish Xiangling had packed full of spices. Not that she often makes anything without chilis, anyway. “I’m just trying to keep an eye out for my best friend. I’ve been here all afternoon, and I can tell you exactly which dishes are safe to eat, and which aren’t!”
“They’re all safe to eat!” Xiangling tuts, shaking her head as she looms over the table, holding up a ladle. Rich, luxurious seafood broth shimmers within, and even Chongyun, as fussy as he is, leans a little closer, hoping to get a taste. “Conpoy, sea cucumber and crab, seasoned with –” Xiangling stops, a flicker of something crossing her face, and he wonders what exactly she put in this broth. “Anyway! It’s good, so you should give it a try!”
Xinyan and Lumine waste no time scooping out bowls for everyone, and Xingqiu can’t help but sigh when he tries the conpoy – rich and delicious, he swears he tastes the sea in every mouthful. The broth is flavourful and satisfyingly thick, and when he pours in a little vinegar and pepper, it just makes it all the more enjoyable.
“You put slime condensate in there again, right?” Lumine is murmuring to Xiangling beside him. He pretends not to have heard that.
Overall, the meal goes well. Xiangling and Lumine, evidently deciding not to let him torment poor Chongyun, make it a point to tell him every time Xingqiu drops something spicy on his plate, much to his chagrin. But it’s made better when Lumine winks at him and drops her hand beneath the table, reaching out for his.
Every time she squeezes his hand, his brain short-circuits, and soon enough the meal is over, all of them full and satisfied. “That was delicious!” Xinyan declares, jumping to her feet, her guitar swaying behind her. “Makes me wanna play some rock ‘n’ roll!”
“The floor's all yours if you want.” Xiangling has started cleaning the plates off the table, Chongyun bumbling behind her. “Have fun, Xinyan! Oh, and Lumine – thank you for your help today!”
“It’s no trouble!” Lumine gets up, and he realises she doesn’t let go of his hand, hauling him to his feet beside her. “I got a delicious meal out of that, so I should be thanking you instead, Xiangling.”
Xiangling laughs, turning towards the sink with a pile of plates in her arms, Guoba helping her carry the bowls. Chongyun follows, looking slightly crestfallen as he holds on to two pairs of chopsticks. “Enjoy the rest of your day then,” she calls, her voice barely audible over the sudden riff of Xinyan’s guitar. “Don’t let us distract you!”
Xingqiu looks down at that, his face warming as he realises she’s still holding his hand. Not that he minds. “We will!” Lumine shouts as she skips out of Wanmin Restaurant, Xingqiu running close behind her; they come to a stop in the middle of Chihu Rock, then she whirls around to face him, her free hand planted on her hip.
“I still have commissions today,” she says, sounding apologetic. “I know I’ve kept you away from work for longer than appropriate, but…” She pauses, drawing a breath before she barrels on. “Would you like to help me with my commissions? It’s fine if you can’t, though.”
His grip on her tightens, and she blinks at him, looking surprised. “Of course I will,” he says, lifting their intertwined hands to his mouth. His lips brush against her skin, and there’s her blush again, the soft pink turning her radiant against the setting sun. “You don’t even need to ask.”